Jewells of Thought

Eighty-two years ago President Franklin Roosevelt very articulately spoke to Congress, Americans and the World. Looking back at my time at OCU my senior year I wrote a paper about this very man. Some of my research showed me Roosevelt himself let this attack happen in order to step into war.

This was a new thought process for me and I had to really digest this for a bit. Also at this same time as I was working on this paper or mostly done with this last paper for Mr. Gee another scenario was going on in my life. There should be a different term for ‘wisdom teeth.’ If they truly are wise teeth all of my wisdom has been gone since my senior year of college.

Firstly I should say somehow I am not normal because I only had 3 wise teeth to begin with. The Saturday after Thanksgiving my last full year of college was eventful. I remember being at one of our favorite restaurants; China Wok in Sullivan. The broccoli is usually good I don’t have trouble’s eating it but I had a powerful pain in my jaw at lunchtime just out of the blue. I think this was the first time I met Dr. Gamble, his wife was a fellow graduate of my high school.

We had to call the dentist which meant I had to stay at home and not head back to campus until later, which also meant calling to say I would be missing some classes. Come to find out I would need a referral to a Bloomington oral surgeon to take out my first wisdom tooth. I would not make it to school for a couple of days. I even remember Dad driving because it was in the middle of winter and possibly even snowing that day.

I finished the paper but gained a cold and finally made it back to class but didn’t get to do the presentation. Talk about a mess that was me those couple of weeks. I didn’t have any other classes with Mr. Gee my last semester of college. However, that was the first of three wisdom teeth extractions total. I had to have another one the next month and then we just scheduled the third one after graduation in May unless I was to appear to have problems. Fortunately I didn’t have any and ironically it was the first time I was able to have anesthesia.

This paper though, made me look at this man with a different perspective. America had already been through the Great War we were attempting to practice isolationism. I mean we didn’t start the war the Germans did we had an ocean between us we didn’t need to be in this war. However, as we all know things happened the question is did they happen naturally or did someone manipulate the process. There are things we could have done better when it came to communication. Specific letters were found though I need to find my research for this paper again.

Watching Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Jon Voight of whom I do like would catch me. Every time watching Jon as Roosevelt when he stands up by himself. Would this man with polio have been elected today? Yet this democratically elected President won 4 times total. The man had charisma and he persevered unlike the present Democrat in his office.

There is no way Biden could muster the poignancy our nation needed for this speech that Roosevelt did.

“Mr Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan…

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defence. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us…

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God…

Speeches That Changed The World, Quercus

This was a stirring speech for Americans in this country. Maybe even my Grandpa Leo, Uncle Norman and their brother-in-law Uncle Leonard. Even my Grandma Betty and Grandpa’s younger sister Dorothy, Leonard’s wife both worked for Crane during the war. These are just the 5 that I personally knew while I grew up. Aunt Dorothy gave me photos of Harbin cousins who also served during World War II. This event launched men and women into battle, hospitals and men’s jobs in a different way than the Civil War Era never would have thought.

We may not always agree with our leaders, but we were able to come together under Franklin Roosevelt and know he meant using the force of our military to end the war. Biden doesn’t seem to want to end wars. The question is would Roosevelt have ended the war? He died in office before doing so, but he did put the Manhattan Project together in order for Truman to use it as it did to officially end the war. Which President should get the official recognition for the ending, Truman had no idea what the Project was until he had to use it?